The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned meldonium on January 1. Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova became the first high-profile athlete rocked by the drug when she failed a test during the Australian Open.

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A Russian volleyball team pulled out of a tournament in February while the curling team also changed its roster.

Russia sells the drug over the counter and Eastern European countries prescribe it as a heart medication. Sharapova claims she has taken the drug for over a decade due to magnesium deficiency, heart problems, and diabetes in her family.